—
By ten o'clock the next morning Yunjinna had made a decision.
Since she could not find any evidence on yunjiao for what happened to her last night without incriminating herself, she decided to teach her a lesson herself.
She sat at her vanity turning her mother's jade necklace over in her hands.
It was old.
Expensive.
The kind of piece that had a history and a value that everyone in the household knew about. It was the Ruan's Family Heirloom.
It emits a cold air, deep blue in colour, in it where galaxy of stars and a red blotch like a drop of blood.
The necklace was called "Ice Jade". It was priceless, even the queen of Country F tried negotiating a price of 21million $ just to get the Ice Jade, but was refused. It was one of Ruan siyun mysterious Jewelry which she called the Ruan's Heirloom.
Her mother had worn it at every important family event for the last twelve years.
Everyone knew that necklace.
Which was exactly why it was perfect.
She turned it once more.
The plan was simple.
She'd slip into Yun Jiao's room during lunch when everyone was downstairs.
Tuck it somewhere obvious — not too obvious, just obvious enough. Under the mattress maybe. Or the back of the wardrobe.
Then she'd "notice" it missing this afternoon.
Make a scene.
Cry.
Be devastated.
The staff would search.
They'd find it.
And that would be the end of little Miss Perfect Orphanage.
Yunjinna set the necklace down on her vanity and smiled at her reflection.
Father would have no choice but to send her back.
And if he didn't — well, Mother would make sure he did.
She stood up.
Smoothed her dress.
Time to get to work.
—
Lunch was at twelve thirty.
Yunjinna had timed it perfectly.
The moment Yun Jiao came downstairs with Mengqi and Lulu — she'd specifically invited them to stay for lunch, specifically made sure Yun Jiao was included, specifically made sure the whole table was full and loud and no one would notice her slip away for ten minutes.
"I'll just get changed," she told the table with a smile.
"I spilled something on my sleeve earlier. Back in a minute".
Her mother caught her eye across the table.
Ruan Suyin said nothing.
Looked back at her food.
But the tiny nod was there.
She knew and she approved.
Yunjinna walked out of the dining room, up the stairs, and turned right toward the east wing.
Yun Jiao's room.
She pushed the door open quietly.
Slipped in.
Closed it behind her.
The room was tidy.
Almost aggressively tidy for someone who'd only been here one day.
Bed made with military precision.
Bag unpacked, items arranged neatly on the desk. A small notebook sitting closed next to a blue pen.
Yunjinna crossed to the wardrobe.
Opened it.
Pushed the necklace into the back corner behind a folded sweater.
Stepped back.
Looked around.
Nothing out of place.
No sign she'd been here.
She smiled.
Done.
She walked back downstairs, slid back into her seat, and reached for her chopsticks like she'd never left.
"Everything okay?" Mengqi asked.
"Perfect," Yunjinna said.
She picked up her chopsticks.
Across the table Yun Jiao was telling Lulu something about the koi pond, gesturing with her hands, laughing at her own story, completely unbothered, completely unaware.
Yunjinna looked at that laughing face.Enjoy it, she thought, her last meal and smirked
——
Yunjiao knew the moment Yunjinna came back downstairs.
Her adorable hawk has captured what happened in the room and transmitted it to her.
Yun Jiao kept laughing at her own koi pond story.
Kept gesturing with her hands.
Kept her eyes on Lulu's delighted face.
Hawk's response came through her earpiece thirty seconds later.
"Yunjinna entered your room at twelve thirty-two. Exited at twelve thirty-nine."
A pause.
"She went to the wardrobe."
Yun Jiao reached for her water glass.
Took a slow sip.
So that's what we're doing today.
She set the glass down.
Smiled at Lulu.
"And then," she continued, "I asked Chef Zhou what their names were and he looked at me like I'd said something in a foreign language—"
Lulu burst out laughing.
Yunjinna laughed too from across the table.
So warm.
So sisterly.
Yun Jiao laughed with them.
Inside her head she was already three steps ahead.
—
Ruan Siyun waited until after lunch.
Two o'clock felt right.
Enough time for everyone to settle.
Enough time to make the "discovery" feel natural.
She went to her bedroom.
Opened her jewelry box.
Looked at the empty space where the necklace usually sat.
Pressed her hand to her chest heaving like someone having a heart attack, walked out into the hallway, with a trembling voice "Has anyone seen my jade necklace?" she called, voice carrying just the right amount of worry and panic.
The nearest maid looked up. "The Ice jade Madam?"
"Yes. I left it on my dresser this morning and now I can't find it."
The maid's face did what staff faces always did when valuable things went missing in a house with a new person in it.A very careful neutrality.
"I'll help you look, Madam."
—
Butler Ye had worked for the Yun family for thirty years.
He had seen things.
He stood in the entrance hall and listened to the Madam explain that her ice Jade was priceless— the one worth approximately 21 million, the one she'd worn to every important family occasion for twelve years — was missing.
He kept his face completely neutral.
He had also, incidentally, reviewed the east wing security camera footage that morning as part of his routine check.
He had seen Miss Yunjinna enter Miss Yun Jiao's room at twelve thirty-two.
He had said nothing about this yet.
He was waiting to see how this played out.
Thirty years with this family had taught him one thing above everything else.
Wait.
Watch. Then decide.
"I'll organize a search of the common areas immediately, Madam," he said.
"Thank you, Butler Ye." Ruan Suyin's hand was still at her chest. Her eyes were worried and panicked.
"I'm sure it's just been misplaced."
He nodded once.Turned away.
His expression said nothing at all.
His eyes, however, were doing quite a lot.